I hadn't thought about it that way myself too. I suppose it should be obvious if you think of it in terms of a child instinctively doing that they need to do for their own mental development. In other words, they are instinctively doing that they need to do to grow smart.
Then when you think about it, we parents may even be suppressing or discouraging it just by the act of not reinforcing creativity like we could. What I am trying to say is that we might encourage other things more that are not so much in line with their natural tendency to be creative such as doing as they are told or getting ready for school quickly.
It's really got me thinking.
RE: Red Riding Hood, a game